A convertible information handling system transitions to tablet and tablet stand configurations having a keyboard with a friction enhanced surface disposed against a support surface, the keyboard resisting movement of the information handling system relative to the support surface. For example, the keyboard has a rubberized plastic outer surface on non-moving keys to effectively increase the surface area of the keyboard in contact with the support surface. In one embodiment, the friction enhanced surface has its friction characteristics increased when proximate a support surface and decreased when distal a support surface.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. An information handling system comprising: a chassis having an upper surface and a bottom surface; a lid; one or more hinges rotationally coupling the chassis and the lid; processing components disposed in the chassis to process information; a display disposed in the lid and interfaced with the processing components, the display presenting the information as visual images; a keyboard disposed in the chassis to accept end user inputs, the keyboard having a friction-enhanced material; wherein chassis and lid rotate between a first position having the lid proximate the upper surface and a second position having the lid proximate the bottom surface, the keyboard exposed to a support surface in the second position so that the friction-enhanced material resists a sheer force translated through the chassis to the support surface; and wherein the keyboard comprises a capacitive keyboard having only keys that do not move; plural microphones interfaced with the processing components and operable to capture audible sounds for use by the processing components; an orientation device interfaced with the processing components and operable to determine an orientation of the microphones; and a beamforming module stored in a non-transitory memory and operable to execute on the processing components to beamform sounds detected at selected of the plural microphones, the microphones selected based upon the orientation.
A convertible laptop features a chassis (base) and a lid connected by hinges, allowing it to transform into a tablet with a built-in stand. The chassis houses processing components and a capacitive keyboard with non-moving keys, featuring a friction-enhanced material (like rubberized plastic) on its surface. When in tablet/stand mode, this material contacts the support surface, preventing slippage. The laptop also includes multiple microphones connected to the processor for audio capture. An orientation sensor detects the laptop's orientation. A beamforming module, stored in memory and executed by the processor, intelligently selects and uses a subset of microphones based on the device's orientation to improve sound capture quality.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the plural microphones are disposed in the lid to have a first set of microphones aligned along a first axis and a second set of microphones aligned along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first set of microphones, the beamforming module selecting the first set of microphones for a first orientation and the second set of microphones for a second orientation.
The convertible laptop described previously has its microphones arranged in the lid. Specifically, a first set of microphones is aligned along one axis, and a second set is aligned along another axis, substantially perpendicular to the first. The beamforming module selects the first set of microphones when the laptop has a certain orientation and the second set when it has a different orientation, allowing optimal microphone selection based on how the device is held or positioned. This improves audio capture regardless of device orientation.
3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the beamforming module selects a set of less than all of the microphones so that the selected set of microphones has an axis most closely aligned to parallel with the support surface relative to other defined sets of microphones.
In the convertible laptop from the initial description, the beamforming module selects a subset of the available microphones for audio capture. This selection is based on identifying the set of microphones having an axis most parallel to the support surface when the laptop is being used. The goal is to select microphones that are best positioned to capture sound from the user facing the screen/support surface and to reduce background noise and improve the clarity of the audio signal based on the device's orientation.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 21, 2014
May 23, 2017
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